Conveyer



A. B. KNIGHT CONVEYER Filed Dec. 13, 1923 mu l IIIIIIIIII 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. B. KNIGHT CONVEYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1925 June 2, 1925.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 13, 1923 Patented June 2, 1925.

v UNITED STATES ALBERT BREAKENRIDGE KNIGHT, F FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA.

CONVEYER.

Application filed December 13, 1923. Serial No. 680,517.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at F airmont, in the county of Marion and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to conveyers and more particularly to a conveying apparatus for use in connection with machines for pol-. ishing glassware. 5

An object of the invention is the provision of an endless chain for supporting spindles on which the articles of glassware are mounted, and conveying them through polishing and glazing burners.- A further object is the provision of means for rotating the spindles while they are passing through the burners.

More specifically, I provide a rack and provide pinions on the spindles adapted to mesh with the rack, the rack being provided with a yielding portion at one end to insure proper meshing of the teeth with the rack and the'pinions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for supporting the conveyer chain.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the inventionf In this showing-z Figure '1 is a plan view of a polishing and glazing apparatus showing the invention applied,

Figure 2 is a side elevation. Figure 3 is a detail plan view of the two ends of the chain, parts being shown in section, 40 Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view line 44; of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the chain on an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the links of the chain,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the rack, Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view on line 9-9 of Figure 8, t

Figure 10 is a similar View on line 10-10 of Figure 8, and, V

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the supporting mechanism for the yielding end of the rack.

Referring to the'drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate T-shaped rails formin the track which supports the conveyer chain. These rails are slightly spaced from each other, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, 'to permit the links of the chain to pass between them. The tracks are arranged on each sideof the apparatus, as shown in v Figure 1, and are connected by transverse members 3. These transverse members are provided with vertical portions 4:, adapted to be connected to the track by suitable means, such as bolts or rivets. -A pair of longitudinal arms 5 are connected to the transverse member at one end of the apparatus and the ends of these arms are connected by a transverse member 6. This transverse member is adapted to receive and support the upper end of a vertical shaft 7, the lower end of which is supported in a base 8. The shaft is stationary and is adapted'to receive a gear 9, loosely mounted thereon and adapted to be driven by apinion 10, mounted on the shaft 11 of a motor 12. The gear is provided with a hub 13 and a sprocket wheel 14 is arranged above it. The sprocket wheel is provided with a hub 15, keyed to the hub of the gear to revolve therewith. The opposite end of the machine is provided with a pair of arms 16, similar to the arms 5, and adapted to support a movable member 17. This movable member is provided with an adjusting screw 18 passing through a threaded opening in the transverse member 3, to permit adjustment of the movable member 17 to regulate the tension of the- .chain. A sprocket wheel 19 is mounted-on a shaft 20,- the upper end of which is received in the movable cross head 17 and the lower end of this shaft is mounted ina base '21.

' which is likewise provided with a threaded shaft 22, passing through a threaded openingin a stationary member 23, to permit corresponding adjustment of the lower end of the shaft.

Anendless chain is adapted to pass over the sprockets and is guided and supported by the tracksl and 2. The chain comprises a plurality of I links designated generally by the reference numeral 24., Each of these links consists of upper and lower arms 25 connected at one end by means of a bushing 26. The opposite ends of the arms diverge, as at 27, and are provided with alined openings 28. Adjacent the ends of the arms, they are connected by a web 29. In assembling the chain, as shown inJFigure 5 of the drawings, the smaller end of one, link is placed in the larger end of the adjacent link and a pin 30 is passed through the openings 28- and the opening in the bushing- 26'. As'

the weight of the mechanism is supported by the tracks, the pin 30 may be tapered as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, to permit ready removal thereof. The upper arm of each link is provided with a transverse member 31, which is adapted to rest upon .the track, as shown in Figure 4 of the draw- 1; 33 and 35. This spindle is provided with a col1ar37 adapted to engage theupper face of the bushing 32 to limit the downward movement of the spindle I The lower end of the spindleis adapted to receive. a pin ion 38 and isprovided with a threaded portion for the reception of a nut 39, The upper end of the spindle is reduced in cross section, as at 40, and is adapted to receive a collar 41. A dished shaped member 42 is arranged above this. collar and an article supporting member 43 is arranged onthe end of the spindle.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, the inner rails of the track are shorter thanthe outer rails and the extended portions of the outer railsare provided with teeth 45 which engage the bushings 26, as shown in Figure 3 ot' the drawings, to drive ends 44 which incline downwardly and outwardly to permit the links to readily assume their proper positions with the transverse member 31 abovethe rails of. the track. The sprocket wheels 14 and 19 are provided with the chain and are further provided withcut out portions or recesses 46 in the rear of each tooth, which receive the ad acent portions of the spindles and prevent unnecessarywear.

In this showing, I- have illustrated a polishingburner and glazing burner in" connection with the conveying apparatus. The polishing. burner is arranged withina hood 47, disposed .over the track and-through which the articles are conveyed by the chain. A glazing burner. is disposed within a similar hood 48, slightly spaced from the polish ing burner and between the two burners, there is provided a cooling chamber formed of ahood 49, adapted to receive warm air froma suitable source through a-pipe 50.

During the passage of the articles through the' burners, it is desirable to rotate the spindles -'to subject each portion of the glasspurpose "of disassembling the chain.

ware to uniform heat treatment. Each of the burner spindles is provided with a pinwardly. Upper and lower angle irons 54 and 55 are secured to the plates and the rack bar is secured between these angle ironsby means of bolts 56, as shown in Figure 9 -of the drawings. In order to insure proper meshing of the teeth of the pinions with the teeth of the rack, the rack is provided with a yielding section 57 at one end. The yield ing section of the rack bar is connected to the main portion of'therack bar by means of a hinge 58. The other end of the yielding section issupported by aplate 59, secured to the outer track by means of bolts 60! The lower end of this plate is provided with a transversely elongated opening 61, and a bolt 62 is arranged in this opening. The bolt. is received in a threaded opening in the hinged section of-the rack bar and a spring 63 is arranged around the bolt between the plate 59 and the yielding section 57 of the rack bar. As shown, the end teeth of the yielding section of the rack bar taper outwardly, as indicated at 64.

In operation, the articles of glassware are arranged on the supporting member 43at the end of the chain at the left of Figure 1 1 of the drawings and pass through the polishing and glazing burners, as the chain is driven from the sprocket 14. The chain is driven through the gear 9 and pinions 10' acauslng the-sprocket 14 to revolve in a."

counter-clockwise direction to drive the chain. The transverse members 31 of the llIlkS rest upon the upper faces of the tracks,

as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings,- and support the weight of the chain. This enables the links to be connected by readily removable pins, such as the tapered pins 30, shown in Figure 6 of the drawings for the outwardly and downwardly inclined ends of the outer track facilitate proper positioning of the transverse member 31 on the rails... It is .only necessary to revolve the The spindles during the passage of the glassware through' the burners, and because of this, I provide the rack 51 merely on one side of the apparatus. B ,formin a yielding section on the end o the mo proper meshing of the teeth of the pinions 38 with the teeth of the rack is insured. If the teeth of the pinions are not properly positioned to engage the rack teeth when the pinioncomes in alinement with the rack, the yielding section 57 is forced outwardly against thetension of the spring 63 and the pinion rotates until it is in .proper position to mesh with therack teeth when the rack is again moved inwardly by the spring 63 to mesh with the pinion. By arranging the teeth (Stat the end of the yielding section of the rack with the outer faces of their teeth, further spaced from the pinion, the proper meshing of the teeth is also facilitated.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the. invention --or the scope of the subjoinedclaims. r

I claim j 1. In an apparatus for conveying glassware, a chain, means for driving said chain,

glass supporting spindles carried by said chain, pinions carried by said spindles, and a stationary rack arranged adjacent and extending throughout a portion of one side of said chain and adapted to mesh with said pinions, one end of said rack being provided with a yielding portion.

2. In an apparatus for conveying glassware, an endless chain, a pair of spaced sprockets over which said chain passes,

glass sup-porting spindles carried by said chain, pinions mounted on said spindles, a rack arranged'between said sprockets to rotate said spindles during their travel in one direction, said rack being provided with a hinged portion at one end, and a spring engaging said hinged portion to normally maintain it in a position to be engaged by said spindles.

3. In an apparatus for conveying articles of glassware, a chain comprising a plurality of links, each of said links comprising upper and lower substantially horizontally arranged arms, a bushing connecting said arms at one end, the opposite ends. of said arms being diverged, the small end of one link being adapted to be received in the large end of the adjacent link, a pin passing through the ends of said links,'a' transverse member carried'by the upper arm of said link, a track upon which said transversemember is adapted to ride, and a spindle carried by -said link, said bushing be ng adapted to be engaged by a tooth of a suitable horizontal sprocket to be driven thereby, the lower face of said upper arm adjacent said bushing being adapted to rest upon the sprocket tooth to'be supported'thereby.

4. In an apparatus 'for conveying articles ,of glassware, an, endless chain, a pair of V j e n spaced sprockets over which said chain passes, a track arranged; between said sprockets on each side and adapted to supi sport said chain, spindles carried by said chain and adapted to sup-port articles ofglassware, said spindles pro ecting below, said chain, pmlons carriedby thepro ectmgportions of said spindles, .and a stationary rack depending from one of said tracks and extending throughout aportion of one side of said chain, said rack being adapted to mesh with said spindles, one end of said rack being provided with a yielding poi tion. a

5. In apparatus for conveying'articles of I glassware, a chain comprising a plurality of links, each of said links comprising substantially horizontally arranged upper and lower arms, the arms at one end of each link being further apart than those of the other end, a substantially cylindrical .bushing connecting the arms of the narrower ends of each link and provided with an axial opening extending through the arms) each link being provided adjacent its wider end with alined openings, the narrower end of each link being arranged between the arms of the wider end of the next adjacent link, a pin passing through the openings of each adjacent pair of links, a web connecting the arms of the wider end of each link adjacent and inwardly of the openings therein, the arms of each link being provided withi vertically alined bearing openings, a spindle rotatably mounted in the bearing openings of each link and extendingabove and below I each link and provided with an. axial open-, 7 ing extending through the arms, each link being provided ad acent its wider end with alined openings, the narrower end of each link being arranged between the arms of the wider end of the next adjacent link, a

pin passing through the openings of each adjacent pair of links, a web connecting the,

, arms. of thewiderend of each link adjacent and inwardly of'the openings therein, the

arms of each link being provided with vertically alined bearing-openings, a spindle rotatably mounted inthe bearing openings ofeach link and extending above and below the link, a glassware supporting member mounted on the upper end of each spindle,

, a pair of spaced parallel trackways arranged on opposite sides of the chain, a substan-- tially horizontal transverse member carried by and projecting outwardly beyond the 7 upper arm of each link and adapted to rest upon said trackways, a rack carried by one of said track'ways and arranged therebelow,-

and a pinion carried by each of said spindles below the links of the chain and adapted to mesh with said rack. 1

7. In an apparatus for conveying glassware, a chain, means for driving said chain, glass supporting spindles carried by said chain, pinions carried by said spindles, a pair of pivotally connectedsubstantially alined rack sections arranged adjacent said chain and adapted to mesh with said pin-ions, one

of said rack sections being stationary, the

outer end of the other rack section being adapted tov swing outwardly from said pinions, and resilient means coacting withsaid last named rack section for normally maintaining it in substantial alinement with the stationary rack section.

8. In an apparatus for conveying glassware, a chain, means for driving said chain, glass supporting spindles carried by said chain, pimons carried by said spindles, a pair of pivotally connected rack sect ons arranged in substantial alinement ad acent -said chain and adapted to mesh with said pinions, one of said rack sections being stationary, the outer end of the other rack section being adapted to move away. from said pinions, a stationary member arranged near the movable end 'of said last named rack section, and a spring arranged between said member and said movable rack section for normally maintaining the latter in substantial alinement tion. a

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. ALBERT BREAKENRIDGE KNIGHT. Witnesses:

WILLIAM S. HAYMOND, HAZEL M. MORGAN.

with the stationary rack sec- I 

